All things Dairy

Boo-Boo

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Rep of ire
So realistically I would have to keep the calves out too? As whatever is in my calving pen will most likely be in the calf shed as the calves will have transfered it across?
At this time of year when the weather is kinder , when a cow calves down , the calf is straight out to a field in a barrow without ever touching the straw bed for 24 to 48 hrs , cow is milked , calf is tubed and cow + calf enjoy the great outdoors for a bit until calf is put in calf shed and cow joins the herd . I think most calf problems are picked up during this time
 

coomoo

Member
I mentioned calving outside and my vets looked like I'd slapped them

Anything between 5 days and 4 weeks, running around one day, the next day not drinking, lethargic, barely able to stand and then dead within 12 hours

Not sure about mycoplasma, I would assume its been tested for but couldn't guarantee it, I'll ask tomorrow though.

It's just completely depressing having good calves die and feeling completely helpless as there doesn't seem to be any sort of solution
How big an impact does your calf mortality/morbidity rate have on your overall business. What design do you have on paper for the calf shed at your home farm?
 

Dairyfarmerswife

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Shropshire
So realistically I would have to keep the calves out too? As whatever is in my calving pen will most likely be in the calf shed as the calves will have transfered it across?
I have replied on your other thread but I've just had a nightmare with crypto and lost way too many calves (more than you)
Touch wood I think I'm over the worst but for me the things which helped were:

Halocur, but took a while to work and didn't really help until I blanket treated everything as soon as it had colostrum rather than waiting 24 hours (on vets recommendations)

Stopping putting calves in the affected shed/pens. It must be absolutely riddled with it. Then being really strict about wearing different waterproofs, wellies, gloves, and using different feeders in the new shed. I did have a scouring calf in there which worried me but when tested it was rotavirus which the vet said should improve with rehydration and it has.

Moving affected calves into bigger group housing and feeding on the trailer feeder. They still scoured but have got over the crypto all bar one. I think the space seems to have helped. When I say bigger groups, they are in mobs of 40. They aren't perfect and I've had the odd one blowing but they look much better.

We did antibody tests too and all were fine, even affected calves which subsequently died.
 

Jdunn55

Member
How big an impact does your calf mortality/morbidity rate have on your overall business. What design do you have on paper for the calf shed at your home farm?
I'll find the design I had in mind in a bit

Regarding financial it's costing about £500/dead calf in vet fees and medicines, then there's my time on top plus wasted recourses (milk powder, rehydrion etc) maybe another £100?
Then there's the financial loss of the calf which I'm not sure what they're worth, I've got the 21st highest pli herd in the country so a bit difficult to say, maybe £300?

So you're talking £1000/calf right now

Then theres the financial implications in 2 years time from loss of production, being understocked for another year etc, not a clue what that is worth

Then there's the fact that every time I lose a calf I spend the day being completely unproductive and bursting into tears every 5 minutes because to quote myself "what's the point if they're going to die anyway"

Short term I had a think whilst milking, cows are going to calve in q field just grazed bare by my maiden heifers, and then the fencers can do the field by the house tomorrow and the calves can go in there as they're born

I'll see how that goes before I decide further, I'm still not convinced that calving cows outside in january/february is a good idea though
 

Jdunn55

Member
Not sure of the difference if any between Rotavec and Bovigen but Bovigen worked a treat here combined with halacur/halogen to everything at 2-3 days old.
Already done them last week with rotavec, difference is rotavec is slightly more expensive but you can leave it open for a month, whereas bovigen you have to use up then and there
 
Location
West Wales
Another Oliver jerseyX heifer calf out of a 3/4 flek heifer 😍View attachment 1031301
That’s one hell of a heifer

@Jdunn55 , here's the outlier, one of the free ranging suckler gang , known as "the Shitz", because they go everywhere and sh!t on everything! Should be a nice bit of roast beef mind you!View attachment 1031315
He looks like you really wouldn’t want to mess with him.
Already done them last week with rotavec, difference is rotavec is slightly more expensive but you can leave it open for a month, whereas bovigen you have to use up then and there
Are you sure about this. When we used to use it at a farm I worked on we had to use it up the same day.
Radical idea here for you that I suspect you won’t like but why not serve everything to beef this year. It’s still a kick in the teeth loosing a beef calf but at very least you know you could get them shifted as soon as a passport drops.
I know you like your pedigree but I’m sure there is plenty of pedigree stock sold about the place too.
It would at very least give you some breathing space.
 

Tsa115

Member
Livestock Farmer
I don't understand how rotavec can help against crypto unless you have ecoli, corona or rotavirus? I understand that if you have one of them it makes them more susceptible to crypto and being ill from it but if you don't have one of them it won't be doing anything for crypto surely?

I can't grow maize here, I can at dad's though, I can graze fodder beet with cows no problem on half of the land, I wouldn't be able to out winter on it though, they would need access to cubicles/shed to lie down in the dry it's too wet to outwinter properly if that makes sense
Did some samples here at the time, came back as crypto, but routine wise id rather be rotavecing at dry off, than using halocure on young calves. believe strongly in the rotavec here although £7 odd a head adds up, well worth its at drying off. Also found that Diatrim is a decent drug when we had bother with crypto.
 

Manney

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Penzance
I'll find the design I had in mind in a bit

Regarding financial it's costing about £500/dead calf in vet fees and medicines, then there's my time on top plus wasted recourses (milk powder, rehydrion etc) maybe another £100?
Then there's the financial loss of the calf which I'm not sure what they're worth, I've got the 21st highest pli herd in the country so a bit difficult to say, maybe £300?

So you're talking £1000/calf right now

Then theres the financial implications in 2 years time from loss of production, being understocked for another year etc, not a clue what that is worth

Then there's the fact that every time I lose a calf I spend the day being completely unproductive and bursting into tears every 5 minutes because to quote myself "what's the point if they're going to die anyway"

Short term I had a think whilst milking, cows are going to calve in q field just grazed bare by my maiden heifers, and then the fencers can do the field by the house tomorrow and the calves can go in there as they're born

I'll see how that goes before I decide further, I'm still not convinced that calving cows outside in january/february is a good idea though

Do you snatch the calves after calving then feed colostrum?
 

Sid

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
South Molton
Another Omsco herd bit the dust?
Not based on milk price but landlord , NT
getting right out too, sad to see.
food inflation, is the current buzzword, and we see it happening, and we know its going to increase.
How will that effect the organic milk mkt ? There is no longer the 'premium' price for some, and if food inflation is correct, demand will decrease, perhaps not from the 'die hard' organic group, but from the 'trendy' group. One could see the whole organic market, contract, when prices become an issue, to the consumer.
But, its quite shocking how quickly the whole food mkt, has changed in the last 12 months, and how it might change, in the next 12 months.
Netflix has taken a hit.
 
Location
Cornwall
That’s one hell of a heifer


He looks like you really wouldn’t want to mess with him.

Are you sure about this. When we used to use it at a farm I worked on we had to use it up the same day.
Radical idea here for you that I suspect you won’t like but why not serve everything to beef this year. It’s still a kick in the teeth loosing a beef calf but at very least you know you could get them shifted as soon as a passport drops.
I know you like your pedigree but I’m sure there is plenty of pedigree stock sold about the place too.
It would at very least give you some breathing space.

They have recently changed the rotavec once opened needs to be used within 28 days I believe.
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
What do you mean?
it shows up to many things, and not enough to find the cause. Then the stock advice, is you vaccinate against absolutely everything they can sell you, and that's expensive.
Whatever is causing the problem, you have to start with the dry cow, are they short of anything, minerals, worms, fluke, anything that could reduce the value of their colostrum, or pass a disease on, perhaps that is what rota vac does, increase colostrum value. If nothing there, the calves are picking up disease post calving, which you can have some control over, proper feeding, cleanliness, and bio security, and time, probably the most important.
 

Jdunn55

Member
That’s one hell of a heifer


He looks like you really wouldn’t want to mess with him.

Are you sure about this. When we used to use it at a farm I worked on we had to use it up the same day.
Radical idea here for you that I suspect you won’t like but why not serve everything to beef this year. It’s still a kick in the teeth loosing a beef calf but at very least you know you could get them shifted as soon as a passport drops.
I know you like your pedigree but I’m sure there is plenty of pedigree stock sold about the place too.
It would at very least give you some breathing space.
I have more interest in the breeding side of things than the milking to be honest, I've already got the semen here as well now. I want to fix and prevent the problem, If I served to beef this year its just kicking the can down the road for the year after when I'll have just as many problems if it's not solved but I understand where you are coming from
 

Jdunn55

Member
Concrete poured ready for silage 🤞
 

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Milkcow365

Member
Location
Sw Scotland
I have more interest in the breeding side of things than the milking to be honest, I've already got the semen here as well now. I want to fix and prevent the problem, If I served to beef this year its just kicking the can down the road for the year after when I'll have just as many problems if it's not solved but I understand where you are coming from
Your in the wrong game then. Only so much advice you can give. But your not grasping it yet.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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